The present invention relates to powder coat paint recovery apparatus wherein color changes can be made quickly, paint is recovered effectively for reuse, and air is recirculated to create a desirable air flow.
In a powder coat paint operation, charged particles of solid paint are deposited on an oppositely charged product to be painted and the product is heated to fuse the paint to the product surface. This operation is well known and provides a high quality paint finish to a product without the use of volatile solvents.
While the finish on a powder coated product is desirable, the painting operation used in the application of powder coat paints has some drawbacks. The paint particles not deposited and retained on the product are difficult to control and recover, with the particles tending to settle on and coat the objects and equipment in the paint booth. The particulate matter suspended in the air also causes a health hazard to paint booth operators. There is also a substantial amount of paint loss with powder coated painting operations.
Because of the difficulty in controlling powder coat paint, it is very difficult to change colors in a powder coat painting operation. Usually it is necessary to clean all of the equipment and all of the hoses very thoroughly before colors can be changed. This can take hours. In a high speed operation wherein products are painted with a number of different colors, this drawback precludes the use of powder coat paints, notwithstanding their benefits.
An object of the present invention is to provide multi-color powder coat painting apparatus that permits quick color changes and provides for a high rate of paint recovery for recycling, while at the same time providing highly filtered air and a positive air flow across the parts being painted.